Winnower of grain



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

AUGUSTUS B. CHILDS, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

WINNOWER OF GRAIN.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 9,564, dated January 25, 1853.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS B. CHILDS, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Machine for Winnowing Grain Twice by Means of `a Single Fan-Blower, patented by me on the 5th day of August, 1851, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings of the same, in which- Figure l, is a view in perspective of my said machine; Fig. 2 is a vertical longtudinal section, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the delivery valve and of its chamber.

My invention and improvements consist in a method of regulating the blast for the second winnowing of the grain by combining` with the revolving fan, which generates the blast for both the first and second winnowing, a compensating supply valve, situate at some point intermediate between the fan and the place at which the grain is winnowed the second time, the operation of this valve being such that it can be opened to admit an increased quantity of air to supply the fan, whenever the latter demands more than could be drawn through theA grain without increasing the strength of the blast to such a degree as would endanger the carrying away of the sound grain along with the impurities.

My invention further consists of a selfregulat-ing delivery valve, which prevents the admission of air, while it opens to discharge grain, or impurities separated from the grain, and collected in any receptacle within the machine.

The general plan and arrangement of the machine is substantially the same as that invented and patented by me as aforesaid, in the accompanying drawings A being the frame; B, the casing; C the hopper, and D the vibrating shoe carrying the riddle E, and screen F. Behind the shoe is a radial fan Gr with a hinged board or plate H in front of it, to be raised and lowered to give direction to the blast. Behind the fan is an air chamber K through which all the air to supply the fan must pass.

L is a pipe, through which a constant current of air passes into the air chamber and M is the compensating valve which is opened occasionally to admit an additional quantity of air into the chamber K to prevent the force of the draft up the pipe L,

from increasing to a sufficient extent to interfere with its proper action upon the gram.

At the top of the air chamber is a hanging plate to deflect downward the blast entering from the top of the pipe L, in order that any impurities borne along by the air may by the downward momentum thus given to them be thrown without the range of the current when it turns to pass to the fan and be precipitated upon the bottom of the chamber K. This bottom is inclined to one side, so as to cause the particles that fall upon it to run down into the valve chest N. The valve M at the top of the chamber is of considerable area, and it opens inward. It is held up by a link O, and an adjustable spring O that projects from the top of the casing. The link O is tted with a set screw by which it may be adjusted to hold the valve more or less open, to admit a greater or less quantity of air, as may be re quired. The object of this valve is to enable me to vary the speed of the fan, and the volume and force of the front blast, without altering the force of the current of air up the pipe L, and it effects this object when the valve is so adjusted as to lessen the entrance for air when the speed of the fan is lessened and demands a less supply of air, so that the draft up the pipe L may not be reduced, and it is so adjusted as to increase the entrance for air when the speed of the fan increases and demands more air to supply it, so that the increased demand by the fan may not increase the draft up the pipe L. Under this arrangement the pipe L can be made to supply a regular and constant quantity of air, not exceeding the minimum demand by the fan, the complement over and above this regular supply being furnished by the valve M. Thus it will be seen that there need be no variation in the force of the draft up the pipe L, when the velocity of the fan and the force and volume of the front blast are varied.

Beneath the chamber K an inclined trough P is placed, whose lower end enters the front side of the pipe L. The lower end of the screen F enters the upper end of this trough.

Instead of the hinged valve M, any other form of valve may be employed, whose application as a substitute for this is so obvious that a description in detail is deemed entirely unnecessary.

1The valve-box Nie attached to the ras-v i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ing :B1 at the lowest line of theinolined bottom of thev ohamberIQthe upper extremity vof thisvbox communicating by an aperture 1:atflteside with the chamber, and the seeds, v etc., Whichv fall'upon the.bottomofthe1 Chamber run through this aperture into v v v v v 1 v 1 1 1 1 1 1 1. the :valve b1ox;1 i The bottom of; this; boX is: v 1 1 closed vby va Valve e which opens downwardv 1 1 .andispressed upward bya spring f of vbarely euliioientv strength vto overcome. its

gravity and keep it closed when the box is empty. Instead of aspring a Weight may be usedto closetheyalve or a balance valier with a slight preponderance on one eide WheneVer in the operation ofthe machine z asufieientquantity of theimpuritieshaye v v Y, v,vvv20v the contents to runoutuntilthe Weight of the quantityv left vis, insufficient toihold the; door openagainst the action of the spring f'. 1 vInthis Way; the doo-rgopens andveloees itself 1 so as tov empty the chamber Without admit-- accumulated to about 1 half1 fill the box N, its bottom ev opens by their Weight to permit 1 ting air.v I baveshown vthis valvev applied v 1 so 1as= to prevent .an undue accumulation of vmatter in the Wastev box,v but it 1can :be zapz plied to any other receptacle in the machine.

If light grain or seeds are to be eleansed71 1 av lighter blast must he employed than when .heavier grain isto be purified; but changes of this kind must be leftto the :judgment of the attendant, and they will have to be 1made,1as in the: common Wilmot/vers,1 to suit almost every different lot of grain that is is of course regulated by the speed at which t thefanisturned, and the strength of draft up the pipe by the position: of the valve 1M; It is obviousv that the form and arrange.-v

1 operated upon.: i The 1 strength of zthe lblastv 1 ment; ofi 1the1 devices I 1 have employed to 1 carry my improvements into effect maybe Varied considerably without departing from the: prineiple of 1 my i inyentom 1 and I1 oon-1 template making euch changes and vmodifica-1 tions; Whenever circumstances may render them expedient lto adaptvthe machine1 to 1' special uses or to suit the views of different oonetruetorsl. v v 1 l claim- 1.1 Regulating of the blast vfor the Secpurposes;

' '2. I1 also claimv the self regulating Valve.' :which prevents l the admission I of 'air intov the machine-,1 Whileit opens vto discharge 1 the impurities separate from the grain, and

:thus vprevents 1 :an :undue: accumulation of them at the bottom of the air chamber.

11n testimony 'whereof I have vhereunto Subscribed myname411111 1 1 1 1 1 1 i ii. `13..,oiiitoe.l l

y JVVit-nesses:

1 1 1F. @FONTAINE P. H. WATSON. 

